Spent shale retort with sonic oscillator clinker cutter

ABSTRACT

Vibrating grates are placed in the path of oil shale in the chamber of a retort vessel to breakup clinkers formed in the retorting process.

United States Patent Trainer 3,640,849 Feb. 8, 1972 [54] SPENT SHALE RETORT WITH SONIC 1,668,820 S /1928 RhoadesML.

OSCILLATOR CLINKER CUTTER 3,480,512 11/1969 [72] Inventor: Richard P. Trainer, Babylon, N.Y. FQREIGN PATENTS 0 APPLICATIONS 976,811 12/1964 Great 1,235,912 6/1960 [73] Assignee: Shell Oil Company, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 12, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 806,634

Primary Examiner-Norman Yudkoff Assistant Examiner-D. Edwards the chamber of a retort vessel to breakup clinkers formed in the retorting process.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1924 Catlin AIR All) 0R GAS counulrs QSCILLATOR PAMTEDFEB 8 in SONIC OSCILLATOR o m o O- 0 -36 A 6 \\\\\\\fl\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\n INVENTOR:

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ms AT(ORNEY SPENT SI-IALE RETORT WITH SONIC OSCILLATOR CLINKER CUTTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toward the art of oil shale retorting and pertains more particularly to a sonic apparatus to prevent clogging and to enhance the throughput of a retorter.

A large amount of the oil reserves of the world reside in shale deposits. The oil contained in such deposits will not flow to the extent that it is practical to remove such oil by the conventional method of drilling a well and pumping the oil therefrom. One method of extracting such oil is by what is known as a surface retorting process. In such a process the oil is mined in clinkers which are then crushed into a particulate form. This particulate material is then fed into large retorting vessels and the petroleum products are extracted by applying heat to the oil laden material. The heat is generally applied to the particulate material or oil-laden material by burning a gas or coke in the retorting chamber filled with the oil-laden material. This burning process, especially when very high heats are used, causes the formation of large masses of shale material which are referred to as clinkers. These large masses tend to clog the discharge openings from the vessel and thus hinder its operation.

SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a side elevational view in section of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view in section of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown a retort vessel, designated by the numeral 11, having substantially a cylindrical shape forming an inner reaction or retorting chamber 12 in which oil laden shale or other material 13 is processed, such as by heating. Suitable means such as a chute 14 is provided for the introduction of the oilladen particulate material 13 into the vessel through an opening 15 which may be closed off by means of a valve or closure chamber 16. Suitable means such as flue 17 are provided for channeling the volatile fluids from the vessel to suitable collection or storage apparatus not shown. The lower end of the vessel 11 is provided with suitable discharge conduit 18 or opening having suitable valve means 19 for controlling the discharge of spent shale from the vessel.

A plurality of conduit means 20 and 21 are provided for the introduction and distribution of air and/or gas within the retorting chamber 12. A third series of conduit means 22 is provided in a lower portion of the vessel for the introduction and distribution of gas into the vessel, which gas may be unheated. Positioned just below or downstream of the main reaction portion of the retort chamber is a grid structure comprising a plurality of crossmembers 23 connected together by suitable frame member 24. The grid structure 23 and 24 may be suspended within the vessel by means of a plurality of elongated structure member 25 which may be rods or other suitable members connected at their upper end to suitable oscillators or vibration generators 26 and 27. The sonic oscillators 26 and 27 may be of any suitable type such as for example linear hydraulic, eccentric rotary mass, or orbiting rotor. These oscillators are preferably vibrationally isolated from the vessel 11 in any manner well known in the art, such as by means of elastomeric members 40 and 41 with the members 25 suitably extending through openings in the vesel 11. Means to control the flow or discharge of spent shale from the retort chamber of the vessel 11 is provided by a plurality of cross members 28 having a substantially triangular cross section. A plurality of platelike cross members 29 are positioned below and slightly between or in line with the space between cross members 28. A grate in the form of a plurality of vertically oriented platelike cross members 30 may be fixedly or moveably mounted on or just above the plate members 29 to aid in the discharge of spent shale from the retort chamber of the vessel 1 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third modification or embodiment of the present invention in which suitable a grid structure, comprising a plurality of cross members 33 connected together by an annular support or ring member 34, is posifioned in the lowermost portion of the vessel 35 and supported on vertically extending rods or coupling members 36. In this embodiment, the grid structure 33 and 34 is preferably positioned just above conduit means 37 for the introduction and distribution of cold gases into the vessel 35. A plurality of sonic oscillators 38 and 39 are coupled to the lower ends of rods or coupling members 36 and preferably vibrationally isolated from the vessel 35 such as by means of elastomeric pads 42 and 43.

In operating the apparatus of the present invention crushed hydrocarbon containing shale is fed such as by means of chute or hopper 14 into the interior of the vesel 11. Hot air and gas is introduced through conduit means 20 and 21 and distributed into the chamber 12 and a combustion type reaction creates sufficient heat in the area of chamber 12 to drive off at least the volatile hydrocarbon components from the shale material 13. The volatile components are channeled such as by means of a conduit 17 to a suitable collection or storage means. The heat and combustion in chamber 12 oftentimes create the formation of masses of shale materials 31 generally referred to as clinkers. The clinkers travel down through the vessel as the spent shale is being discharged. These clinkers 31 are often of such size as to clog and prevent the discharge or impede the discharge of spent shale material from the vessel 11 and/or may hang up on such structures as gas conduits 22 or the flow control grid 28, 29 and 30. The grid system 23 and 24 positioned at or just below the combustion chamber is engaged or contacted by the clinkers 31 as they move downward toward the discharge area of the vessel 1 1. Sonic vibrations set up in the grid structures 23 and 24 cause the cross members 23 to slice through and breakup the clinkers such as 31 into smaller masses. In many instances the application of substantially low frequency vibration may be sufficient to cut through or breakup the clinkers. However, it may be preferable to use resonant vibrations. In other words, the grid system 23 and 24 and the coupling members 25 and oscillators 26 and 27 comprise a vibratory system having a characteristic resonant frequency. When this system is driven at its resonant frequency, energy is more efficiently transmitted to the grid members 23 which in turn perform the work of cutting up or breaking up clinkers, such as 30 and 31, which are formed in the retort chamber 12.

While I have described my invention with respect to specific embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes in structure and arrangement of the illustrated apparatus may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. An oil shale retort apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having a reaction chamber adapted to receive a body of particulate oil-bearing material;

said chamber defining a flow path for said particulate material;

conduit means for introducing combustion supporting fluid into said chamber;

flow means for channeling volatile fluid from said chamber;

a grate suspended by means extending from one end of said flow path and thereby the grate is mounted transversely to said flow path in said chamber intermediate the top and bottom thereof for contacting said material during flow of said material through said grate;

said grate comprising a plurality of substantially horizontally extending members having a cutting edge oriented counter to said flow path of said material; and

a sonic oscillator vibrationally isolated from said housing and operatively coupled to said grate by the suspending means for vibrating said grate in a direction coextensive with said flow path to thereby cut up clinkers formed by the retorting of said shale.

2. An oil shale retort apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having a reaction chamber adapted to receive a body of particulate oil-bearing material;

said chamber defining a flow path for said particulate material;

conduit means for introducing combustion supporting fluid into said chamber;

flow means for channeling volatile fluid from said chamber,

a grate suspended by means extending from one end of said flow path and thereby the grate is mounted transversely to said flow path in said chamber intermediate the top and bottom thereof for contacting said material during flow of said material through said grate;

said grate comprising a plurality of substantially horizontally extending members having a cutting edge oriented counter to said flow path of said material; and

a sonic oscillator comprising a hydraulic linear oscillator operatively coupled to said grate by the suspending means for vibrating said grate in a direction coextensive with said flow path to thereby break up clinkers fonned by the retorting of said shale.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising a plurality of elongated rod members operatively connecting said oscillator to said grate. 

2. An oil shale retort apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a housing having a reaction chamber adapted to receive a body of particulate oil-bearing material; said chamber defining a flow path for said particulate material; conduit means for introducing combustion supporting fluid into said chamber; flow means for channeling volatile fluid from said chamber; a grate suspended by means extending from one end of said flow path and thereby the grate is mounted transversely to said flow path in said chamber intermediate the top and bottom thereof for contacting said material during flow of said material through said grate; said grate comprising a plurality of substantially horizontally extending members having a cutting edge oriented counter to said flow path of said material; and a sonic oscillator comprising a hydraulic linear oscillator operatively coupled to said grate by the suspending means for vibrating said grate in a direction coextensive with said flow path to thereby break up clinkers formed by the retorting of said shale.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising a plurality of elongated rod members operatively connecting said oscillator to said grate. 